Vespa Tour The stories of Hanoian - Half Day

8:00 AM:The Insider’s Hanoi starts off sampling the local Café culture at our Italian style Café in the heart of the old quarter, overlooking Hanoi’s oldest church, to the famous French colonial style St. Joseph’s Cathedral.

We then set off for a ride through the city’s iconic narrow streets and head into the heart of the historic Old Quarter. Alighting at the railway tracks, we can see how the locals live & work, just centimeters from the train tracks in tall narrow houses.

After a short ride on the Vespas toward Huu Tiep Lake, we meet a fascinating elderly resident of the area who regales us with stories of the past in a 400-year-old temple. It’s then a short walk through traditional local market streets to see the B52 crash site at the lake. This US bomber was shot down during the 1972 bombing raids of Ha Noi, a poignant reminder of recent history.

It’s back on the Vespas for the ride to the Ngoc Ha Market and stroll around this huge, bustling place taking in the vibrant atmosphere that typifies Ha Noi.

We then ride out of the city to the Long Bien Bridge, a magnificent structure built over a hundred years ago which spans the Red River and connects the Hoan Kiem and Long Bien districts, and provides shelter to locals living on boats underneath. Only motorbikes & bicycles can traverse, so off we go!

Our next ride takes us along the riverside as we whiz past the ancient dyke wall, beautifully decorated with mosaic artworks and on to a Kumquat Farm, located in a peaceful green agricultural oasis in the city. These little trees are traditional gifts at Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, and adorn every family home, symbolizing luck, health, wealth, fertility and peace.

We then jump on the Vespas and head to our final spot, a special light snack before taking you back to your hotel.